Share

Sanctions will hurt, but needed - Germany

Berlin - Tough new economic sanctions against Russia will hurt Germany's economy but they are necessary for the sake of peace in Europe, Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in a television interview on Sunday.

The European Union imposed sanctions that took effect on Friday targeting Russia's banking, defence and energy sectors because of Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatist rebels battling Kiev's forces in eastern Ukraine.

"We can't behave as if we're just a community of economic interests, because we're a political union and have to do what we can to ensure peace on this continent," said Gabriel, who is also economy minister and head of the Social Democrats (SPD).

Germany, the EU's largest economy, has extensive trade ties with Russia but Chancellor Angela Merkel became a firm advocate of the tougher measures against Moscow after the downing of an airliner last month over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by the rebels. All 298 people on board the plane were killed.

"What would happen if the European Union didn't react?" Gabriel said in the ZDF TV interview, to be aired later on Sunday, the 100th anniversary of Germany's declaring war on France in 1914.

"If all the lessons learned in Europe are that someone can start a civil war in a neighbouring country and nothing happens, then that would cost a lot more than a few percentage points of possible growth," he said.

Gabriel said in the interview that economic setbacks as a result of the Ukraine crisis were unavoidable.

"There would be much, much greater negative consequences if Europe did not act ... Where war and peace are at stake, economic policies can't be the main concern," said Gabriel, who has chaired recent cabinet meetings while Merkel is on holiday.

"We're going to have disadvantages in Europe, but not doing anything would be much worse. That would mean it's possible to play with fire in Europe, and you could invade a neighbour or support civil wars next door ... Doing nothing is not something we can do."

Economic hit

His comments came after the head of Germany's Ifo Institute, a leading independent economic research group, said German growth would shrink towards zero in the second quarter of 2014 from a healthy 0.8% in the first quarter, due in part to the worsening Ukraine crisis and sanctions.

Ifo president Hans-Werner Sinn wrote a guest column for Wirtschaftswoche magazine in which he said the worsening crisis meant the previous forecast of 0.3% growth in the second quarter from the first quarter would have to be revised lower.

Sinn's outlook contrasts with less gloomy forecasts from other economists who have said even a complete collapse of Russian-German trade would have only a limited impact. A recent Hypovereinsbank research note said losses would be "manageable".

Germany had exports to Russia worth €36bn ($48bn) in 2013 - or 3% of all its exports. About 6 300 German companies, or 10% of exporters from Germany, have sales to Russia.

Before the downing of Malaysian flight MH17 on July 17 by what Western countries say was a Russia-supplied missile, German industry had campaigned hard against Russian sanctions, warning of lasting damage to domestic companies and the broader economy.

German business leaders had said a decline in German-Russian trade was putting some 25 000 jobs in Germany at risk. Some 300 000 German jobs are dependent on trade with Russia, the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations says.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.99
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
24.14
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.64
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.5%
Platinum
913.65
-1.1%
Palladium
1,016.50
-4.6%
Gold
2,158.37
-0.1%
Silver
25.03
-0.1%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,431
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders